An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

Chapter 428 Sweet Potato Flour and Cassava Flour

Jing Chunxi couldn't help but feel a little emotional when he saw this scene. He hadn't expected the village kids to be so easily satisfied. This house was so big, if a smarter adult knew how eager they were to rent it, they would definitely ask for an exorbitant price. He would still have to give them a few taels of silver.

And that handful of copper coins, no matter how you counted them, was only about a hundred coins at most, which was really too little. Jing Chunxi didn't want to take advantage of the child just because he was honest, even saying that everyone in the house had died.

As soon as Jing Chunxi said this, the children fell silent, and those queuing at the back forgot to ask for copper coins.

The older boy had been staring down at the pile of copper coins, still immersed in joy. When he heard Chun Jingxi's words, he suddenly raised his head and looked at her bewilderedly. He was afraid he had misheard and was a little confused about what to do.

Only after Ah Qi actually put one or two taels of silver back into his clothes did he kneel down, freeing one hand and calling to his brother, "Come here quickly and thank the young lady!" There was a hint of anxiety in his voice, for fear that his brother would be ignorant and annoy the young lady.

He held the hem of his clothes in one hand and kowtowed three times in a very proper manner.

The little boy wanted to kneel down after his brother, but Jing Chunxi grabbed his arm in time. One of his legs was bent while the other was in the air, which looked a bit funny.

Jing Chunxi smiled slightly and said, "Hurry back with your brother and don't lose the silver."

The sister's voice was so gentle, even gentler than his own mother's. The little boy landed on the ground and stared at Jing Chunxi with a smile.

Jing Chunxi continued, "This little five copper coins, Uncle Qi, are you going to default on your debt?" As soon as she finished speaking, Ah Qi, who was still watching the show, suddenly froze. He seemed to have finally realized what was happening, and quickly reached under the table, pulled out another handful of copper coins, and began counting them.

Hearing that both of them asked them to send silver home, the older boy quickly stood up, watched his younger brother receive the copper coins, and then bowed to them before running back together.

Their figures were not very clear in the night, but one could feel their extraordinary joy. This small gain seemed to be their greatest happiness.

The children queuing behind him were all envious, thinking that the older boy's family had made a killing. That was more than one tael of silver, and how much dried bamboo shoots would it take to earn that much?

Although these children were dressed in rags, they were not as skinny as the children in Xunyang City. Although their faces were dark, they had some flesh on their bodies and faces, and did not look like they were starving.

The children's clothes were worn, but they were neatly dressed. Their hair was mostly matted, but their eyes were full of wildness, and their faces were filled with the simplicity and health of children from the mountains.

Strangely, the children lined up to receive their coins, walking past the guards who were devouring their sugar-coated rice cakes, yet not a single one of them even gulped. Their composure would put even Sugar Frosting to shame.

The guards ate with their mouths drooling, the aroma of sugar-coated rice cakes filling the air, so sweet you could almost smell happiness. The guards ate with satisfied "tsk tsk" sounds, but the children seemed oblivious to the alluring aroma, lining up quietly, waiting for their coins.

Suddenly, a guard accidentally dropped a piece of sugar-coated glutinous rice cake on the ground. The children only glanced up briefly, then quickly lowered their heads and continued to line up. Their expressions were calm, without a trace of greed, as if the sugar-coated glutinous rice cake was just ordinary food to them, far less important than the copper coins.

After receiving the copper coins, the children did not leave. The older boy came back with the younger boy. The two squeezed in front of the broken table, almost right in front of a guard, without showing any greed.

Jing Chunxi couldn't help but ask, "Have you ever eaten sugar-coated baba?"

Her voice was soft and concerned, as if she was asking about her younger siblings.

The older boy looked up at Jing Chunxi in surprise, as if he were looking at a fool, but he still answered respectfully, "Miss, every household has a house full of cassava and sweet potatoes these days. If we can't finish them, half of them will rot in the spring. We're tired of eating sweet potato and cassava cakes every day. If we're craving them, it's only for sugar and oil. If you're willing to go up the mountain, you can occasionally find wild beehives. The cakes, smeared with honey, are even sweeter than this."

His voice was clear and firm, revealing the boldness of a mountain boy. His younger brother beside him also kept nodding in agreement, nodding vigorously, his eyes full of support for his brother.

Jing Chunxi finally understood. Although this mountain city was near water, the inhabitants of the mountains lived high up, and the city was built halfway up the mountain. Floods probably wouldn't have much of an impact on them. As for droughts, as long as they were close to a river, there would always be water. And the mountains, with their dense jungles, weren't necessarily short of water. This was both a mountain city and a water city; it was a blessing in disguise.

The most they lacked was rice. Sweet potatoes, cassava, and other grains were enough to fill their stomachs. No wonder the children didn't look hungry. These days, just being able to have enough to eat and wear was considered good enough.

Looking at these children, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Despite their hardship, these children possessed a tenacity and optimism typical of mountain dwellers. They didn't complain or cry, but simply quietly accepted the gifts of life, earning every penny through their own hard work.

Jing Chunxi understood, and then asked, "Can't cassava and sweet potatoes be sold? How can they rot in the house?" There was a hint of confusion in her voice. She didn't understand why these foods that could fill the stomach would be wasted.

The older boy sighed like a grown-up and said, "The riverbank is very humid. If we don't finish eating it, it will definitely rot. Even if it doesn't rot, it will sprout. We won't be able to plant it all."

The more diligent ones would grind it into powder and dry it in the sun to make it last longer, but this is quite troublesome and you won’t make any money, so few people would bother with this kind of effort.

As he spoke, his expression was quite calm, as if he were describing something perfectly ordinary. He smiled broadly at Ah Qi and Jing Chunxi, still thinking about the copper coins and silver he had brought home, which had already frightened his parents. Now, the jingling of them sounded even more melodious, like singing.

Thinking of the French fry workshop his grandfather had built in Yamen Village, he wondered how production and sales were faring. But Jing Chunxi felt that as long as he could make it, with the Jing family's wisdom and hard work, they would definitely be able to sell it and earn some money. At least it would show outsiders that the exiled people could survive on their own.

Jing Chunxi thought silently, thinking that this business might be possible and might be able to help these mountain people.

Thinking about the sweet potatoes and cassava he'd grown but couldn't sell, Jing Chunxi felt like he wasn't making as much money growing them as selling them! He couldn't help but ask a few more questions. "What if someone buys the sweet potato flour and cassava flour? Will anyone dry it?" Jing Chunxi asked tentatively.

She stared at the older boy, wanting to see his answer. He thought for a moment and said, "People in the mountains are very hardworking. As long as they can make money, every household will dry their fruits." His voice was full of confidence, as if he was saying something he was absolutely sure of.

When the older boy finished speaking, he suddenly seemed to realize something and stared at Jing Chunxi with suspicion. Suddenly, he leaned over, his heart and eyes full of cunning, "Miss, do you want to collect it too?"

His eyes sparkled, as if he saw hope. Seeing that Jing Chunxi didn't shake her head, the boy seemed to smell the smell of copper coins again. He approached her again and said, "If you are willing to accept it, I can mobilize the villagers to grind all the excess cassava and sweet potatoes into flour. You can come and collect it."

That’s right, that’s right. If you rent my house next time, can you pay me like I did this time?”

His voice was filled with a hint of anticipation and caution. He considered renting the house as a long-term deal and began promoting it now.